INDIA GATE IN DELHI Location : Rajpath in New Delhi Designed By : Sir Edwin Lutyens Famous As : War Memorial of WW I Best Time To Visit : October to April

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Needless to say, a war memorial built to commemorate 90,000 soldiers who died during the Ist world war will trigger an awe, but the colossal India Gate offers much more than that, a promise of recreation, to every tourists. Nestling on the Rajpath in New Delhi, this 42 meter high gateway was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was completed in February 1921 with the lying of the foundation stone by the Duke of Connaught. Burning under it since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (Flame of the immortal warrior), a never-ceasing flame that burns day and night under the humoungous arch to remind the nation of soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971. Besides, the India Gate is situated in the heart of Delhi and is, perhaps the most easily accessible tourist destination in the state.

Wrap Yourself In A Shawl of Sacrifice

The best time to behold this extraordinary creation is at sunset, when large numbers of Delhites come out for an evening promenade. The place takes on a real carnival atmosphere, bubbling with the usual gaggle of hawkers and hangers-on that always seem to materialise whenever there is a crowd about. Little children run about playing with balloons and eating ice-creams purchased from nearby vendors. You can relax on the superbly manicured gardens that embrace the grand monument, brightly lit up like a newly wed bride. Relax amidst the leisure air that fondles the monument, rising in stages to a huge molding, the arch of which roosts upon an equable red Bharatpur stone base. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. If you look further above, you can see INDIA inscribed on its rippleless surface, flanked by MCM and to the right, XIX. Inscribed on top of India Gate in capital letters is the line:

"To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afgan War."

The shallow domed bowl at the top was intended to be filled with burning oil on anniversaries but this is rarely done. Stand with your back to the arch, and you can see an open cupola which once harboured a statue of King George V that now languishes in the Coronation Durbar Park. Despite plans to put a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in its place, it has so far remained empty; some say this vacuity symbolises India's freedom better than any new statue could. Tourists can also enjoy boat rides or go for horse riding, that is a fun to pursue in the evening.

How To Reach

The high stone arch of triumph stands at the eastern end of Rajpath. Mostly, if you are slicing the domain of Delhi diametrically, you have to pass through the India Gate. The monument is also included in all the common itineraries of Delhi tours and travels. Visit there in late afternoons so that you have ample time for a boat ride, before you refresh yourself with typical Indian fast foods sold at a proximity by mobile vendors.